Electric toy



Aug. 2, 1927. 1,637,479 H. c. EVELYN ELECTRIC TOY Filed sept. 19, 1925 INVENTOR.

(Wfl www n@ A TTORNEYS.

particularly rammed Aug. 2,1927.

HARRY O. im, 0l' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

EIJCTBIC TOY.

Application meg september 19, 1925. Serial No. 57,287.

This invention relates to toys and more to toys equipped with a lamp operated by a dry battery carried in the body of the to and' which operates automatical y when t e toy is moved to produce a blinking or flashing light.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a novel toy, having increased attraction to children by reason of the iashing light which is produced when the toy is manipu ated.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a sinple inexpensive form of switc or current controlling mechanism, which will reduce the consumption of current to a minimum, due consideration being had to the.

Y .fact that the practicability of an illuminated toy depends upon an economic use of the limited current supply furnished by a small dry cell such as would have to be used.r Thus it is conceived that a blinking or flashing light will permit a battery to last longer and avoid frequent replacement. Moreover, it is desirable that the light controlling mechanism be of 'such construction that the lampwill not function when the toy is at rest lor held in any position.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings,.in which:

Flgure l is a view in horizontal section through the vehicle as taken on line l-lof Figure 2 and showing the electrical parts in elevation; Fi re 2 is a view in side elevation of the vehicia1 with portions of the body. broken away and shown in section to reveal the elect'rical parts;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in cross section of the switch member taken on line 3-3 of Figure 4, together with a diagrammatic representation of the electrical connections;

Figure 4 is an enlar ed detail view in section taken on line of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the switch taken on line 5--5 of Figure 4.

As disclosed in the dravings thus briefly described, the invention is applied to a toy automobile, althou h it is equally applicable to other toys, suc las boats, mounted on wheels, figures of animals and human beings, as well as many other kinds of to s which areself ropelled or drawn a ong the ground. urthr more, the same arrangement of electrical apparatus can be readily fitted into the body in vertical position.

applied to miniature 'vehicles which are pedal propelled. l l

The toy vehicle here illustrated consists generally of a body A made of tin or sheet metal, provided with front .and rear wheels B fixed to -frontand rear axles C and D respectively, which turn in simple form of bearings such as E. v

The body A is hollow and readily accessible from the underside, thus roviding lample space for the mounting of t e electri` cal parts now to be described. At the forward end of the body. within what would be a hood athereof, is the bat# tery retainer 1, consisting of wire shaped to -form coil springs 1, which surrounds a pin 2 extending crosswise of the hood a. The

`free ends of the coils are anchored in the sides of-.the hood by assin the Bent ends 1b, l" through holes orme therein. The portion ofthe wire intermediate the coils 1'l are shaped to form a trian lar frame 1 extending rearwardl?,7 and orming a holder for a small battery or dry cell 3, lying horizontally beneath vthecentral portion of the body, or what would be the driving com artment. J ust forwardly of the rear w eels and adjacent the rear end of the battery 3 is a block 4 preferably of wood and securely Secured to this block are the various conductors and contact members which carry the current from the battery 3 to asmall electriclamp 5 having a threaded base 5 removably heldwithin a threaded socket 6 forming a part of the body A.

Mounted on the rear axle D and xed'to rotate therewith is the switch member or circuit controlling element 7, this switch member being c lindric in shape and mounted within t e body adjacent one of 'the rear wheels. Figures-3, 4 and 5. show the details of construction of this switch member which will be understood from the following: The body of the switch member is made of insulating material, preferably of laminated construction consisting of a number of bre disks secured together bymeans of rivets 8. The outer disks 9-9 are solid whereas the inner disks 10 are provided with a group of three slots 10 radiating from the centers thereof and terminating near their peripheries. The slots 10 of the several intermediate disks 10 register with each other and form three radiating passages commumdistantly about the axle l therebyp.

with eachl other-Hat the center of the .switch member. Interposed b etween the centrally di intermediate disks' 10 is a thin me disk 11 havin .the same arrangement of slots 11", but ghtly narrower in width so that the inner edges of the slots extend a short distance inwardly from the corresponding edges of the. channels formed by the intermediate fibre disks, as well as the metal disks, are mounted on the rear axle D of the vehicle, which is a round metallic rod, and the three passages formed the switch member are grouped symmetrically about said axle as clearly shown in Figure 3. The metal plate 11 a proaches in close proximity to the axle at three points spaced equiand formed ,by the intersection of the margins of 'the three nlhsloth h be usitin ecamrorconn ways formed the intermediate bre di .c 10 and metal isk 11 is a mass or globcatn ule of mercury 12, which.- dueto its fluidl characteristics, Hows readily by vi always see its lewe@ level. Tgilis, vtiysualthe switch member7asrotatingin a cliliwise direction, as shown in Figure 4, it is manifest that the mass of mercury 12 will dow successively from one radial passage to the next as the switch member'is rotated. Th the mass is shown as ilowing from the radil chamber which is just passing beyond a horizontal position, so that the mercury ilows by gravity into the y :e s immediately following and about te assume a vertical position. with its. closed end downwardly. IMoreover, it is to be observed that in owii'ig from one chamber to the other the mercury :s through the narrow space between the axle D and the adjacent. point Aof the metal disk 11, thus establshin v a metallic circuit across the gap between t ese ints. This circuit, however, is maintained or only afshort period, inasmuch as the mercury will continue to low by gravity rei g'ardless of whether the switch member conltinueshits rotative movement, or be ro t to a stationary position.4 ort, the uidstateofthem posble'for the circuit tobe closed between the axle D angl the metallic disk 11 for more thantheperiodoftimerequired forthe mercury toowbetween these points, re-

rdless of whether the toy is stationary or ingpro ed. Asaresullgitisim .sibg'for lap to! ltihurn fexceollilti whi it is ing ro an en or y a ort seriod o? tiil 'I'herefore, it follows that uring each revolution of the axle D the circuitisrpened and closed three cing an intermittent or flashing signalat the lamp 5, the dedi on the ofthel er. "ses ...m m ...tiefst is be member and the mannerin .paratively simple In the first ing positions of the toy, whether at rest or it im-' times, f requent replacement.

cuit is intermittentl remaining part of t ectric circuit is complace, it is te o edandclosed,the 5 be observed that the metallic disk 11 of the switch member 7 projects a short distance beyond the periphery of the adjacent libre gigs: Bearing on the edge of this metal l 1S B s pring contact finger 18 secured to c the underside of the block 4 and having atv its other end a short spri contact 13l ada ted to be enga'gercllil by one of e v termin s 3l of the battery 8. Immediately adjacent the ring finger 13 and extending rearwardly atspthe center of the vehicle body is another contact member 14 in the form of a curved metal strip fixed to the underside of the block 4 and terminatin at its rear end in a contact 14* adapted te ave electri- `cal contact with the end terminal of the lamp 5, the other terminal of said lamp bethe threaded sleeve in electrical connection with the axle D through the metal body oflhe tayt-labo dlagramma call th el i u-e ws ti y e ectrice?l circuit, the various elemente thus shown being indicated by the same reference characters. j

, Thus it will be seemas the vehicle is propelled and the switch member 7 rotates with the axle D, that the electrical circuit through the lamp is intermittently opened and closed, thus producin a flashing or b li ht solong as the y is in motion. In o er in motion, the mercury within the switch member seeks its lowest level, thus maintaining the circuit o n across the points.

Figure 5 disclosesthe action of the mercury when the vehicle is held in such a position that the rear axle is vertical. Here again, the mercury seeks its low level and reads out in a thin layer throu hout the bom of the radial chamber in w ich it happened to be when the position of the vehicle is shifted. As thus disposed, the mercury is entirely out of contact with the metallic plate 11 so that the circuit remains open.

From the foregoing it will be seen that regzrdless of the position in which the toy may held, that it is im ossible for the circuit to remain closed and t us exhaust the battery. 'lhe advan therefore of the herein disclosed switc mec as applicable to toy vehicles resides in the rent consumption as well as the inability to exhaust the current when the toy is not in use or placed in such a wou austing the ba While I have illustratedand described the apilication of a lamp and switch to a toy v icle itistobeundersteodthatitcan .a pliedtootherto inwhichthe dashing tmaybeprodubythe bodi'os economy of cur-l A position that the lamp y ing material ily tilting of the toy, as for instance, in-illu- A controlling said clrcuit, comprising a body .member adapted to revolve on its axis 1n the propulsion of the toy, and provided with chambers radiating from its axis, a mass of mercury adapted to flow from chamber to chamber in the rotation of said body member, and terminals located in the path of said mass of mercury and electrically connected in said circuit.

2. In a toy the combination of a body mounted on wheels provided with axles rotating with said wheels, a lamp on said body,

a battery in circuit with said lamp and a switch member mounted on one of said axles and comprising a cylindric body of insulatrovided. with a plurality of internal cham ers radiating from said axle, contact points located at the entrance to each chamber andspaced a relatively short distance from said axle, said contact points and axle constituting terminal points of the lam circuit, and a mass of mercury in said switc member, and adapted to momentarily close the circuit across said axle and successive contact points in the rotation of said switch member. v

3. In a toy the combination of a body, mounted on wheels rovided with axle rotating with said whee s, a lamp on said body, a battery in circuit with said lamp and a switch member mounted on one of said axles and comprising a hollow c lindric body of insulating material throu which one of said axles extends and having a plurality of chambers radiating from the said axle, a metallic disc passing through said body intermediate the ends thereof and provided with contact points separated from said axle by air aps, and a mass of mercury in said body a apted to flow from chamber to chamber in the rotation of said switch member to successively close the circuit across said air gaps.

4. In, a wheeled toy the combination of a lamp circuit therefor including a lamp, a

battery and switch comprising a c lindri'c body of insulatin material provide with a central cavity an passages extending radially from said cavity, a shaft extending axially of said body and mounted in said toy to turn on a horizontal axis when said toy is propelled, a conductor mounted in said switch body and having portions exposed adjacent said shaft, and a mass of mercury within said body and adapted to ow from passage to passage and in the rotation of said switch member.

5. In a toy, the combination of a body mounted on wheels, a lamp circuit carried by the toy body and including a lamp, a battery and a cylindric body of insulating material mounted on a horizontal axle rotatingin the ropulsion of the toy, said switch body vhaving a central cavity extending axially thereof, chambers extending radially from said cavity, and contact members located adjacent said vaxle intermediate said chambers and spaced from the ends of said cavity, a mass of mercury in said switch body, and adapted to intermittently close a circuit across said `axle and said contact members when the axis of said switch member is horizontal, and means for connecting said axle and contact members in circuitwith said lamp and battery.

6. In a wheeled to the combination of a body having an ax e adapted to revolve when said toy is propelled, a lamp circuit carried by said toy body, including a lamp, a batter1 and a switch comprising acylindrie bo y mounted on said axle and provided with a lurality of internal chambers, extending ra ially from a central cavity surrounding said axle, a plate located between the ends of said switch body and conforming to the cross-sectional contour of said central cavity and chambers thereof, a mass of mercury in said switch body and adapted to intermittently close a circuit from said plate to said axle and a spring contact member in said circuit and having wiping contact with said axle. 19tiigned at Chicago, this 16th day of Sept.,

HARRY o. vELYN.

to intermittently close the circuit through sald conductor and shaft 

